Lost in the Woods
by YVR Country Girl
Summary: When Soraya doesn't return from a trail ride, her friends at Heartland rush to find her as the sun sets on a cold winter's day.


Caleb was busy feeding the horses when Ty ran into the barn shouting his name. Caleb looked up and saw a worried look on his friend's face. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Soraya's missing," Ty replied as he went into the room under the stairs which served as an office for the Heartland farm. He went about picking up torchlights and batteries wherever he found them.

"She went riding alone in the morning and hasn't been back since," Ty explained. "The police say they won't start looking until she's been missing for 24 hours. So her mom called Amy."

"The sun's almost gone down," said Caleb, making his way towards his friend, "and the temperature's dropping."

"Yeah we really need to hurry." Ty was already at the barn door. He stopped and turned around, wondering why his friend wasn't following him. "Are you coming?"

Caleb looked down at the ground and shifted some sawdust with his boot. "I'm meeting with a potential rodeo sponsor in town tonight. I mean..." he stammered a bit. "A chance like that don't come around too often and I... Don't look at me like that Ty Borden!"

"So are you coming or not?" Ty asked, getting a little exasperated with his friend.

As Caleb tried to figure out a way to get out of the situation without coming across as a jerk, Ashley walked into the barn. Caleb's heart started to beat a little faster at the sight of her blonde hair and blue eyes that were now directed angrily at the two men.

"What's the holdup guys? We're all waiting in the truck."

"You figure it out cowboy and explain it to her," said Ty and he walked out the door.

"Figure what out?" Ashley asked.

Caleb looked up at the ceiling and dug his hands into his pockets. For months he had been trying to impress Ashley and now here was his chance to come out looking like a hero, like someone dependable, like someone she could trust again. He decided this time to play it honest.

"Like I told Ty, I'm meeting a potential sponsor at the bar tonight..." He paused. He could tell Ashley wasn't impressed at all with what he was saying. Man, why did she have to be so pretty even when she's mad?

"But I have a couple of hours before the meeting. I could come out with you guys to look for Soraya," he continued. Nice save Caleb, he thought. And apparently so did Ashley. She uncrossed her arms and gave him a smile. Caleb grabbed his coat and followed her out the door.

Soraya hobbled along the trail, trying not to place any weight on her right ankle. Her right arm was in a sling she had created from her bandana. The sun had already set behind the trees and it was getting dark fast. The trail that was familiar in the day had become long menacing shadows and hidden potholes she found by stumbling into them. She was scared and hoped her mom and her friends were looking for her. Robby, her horse was nowhere in sight. She was alone, cold, lost, and very afraid. Large tree trunks crowded around her, bowing deeply in the path of the howling wind. Once she thought she found herself on a familiar part of the trail. She hurried forward, but the more she hurried the more frightened she became until she was stumbling, chased by imaginary creatures that lurked in the shadows.

"What are you doing?"

Caleb jumped and swore under his breath as he slowly turned around to face Ashley. She had found him wandering by himself behind a large bush some distance away from the others. She noticed he was holding his cellphone.

"Checking for a signal, in case someone was trying to reach us," Caleb explained, holding up his cell phone, "which we're not getting any."

Ashley buried her head in her hands. "You mean if someone, like yourself, was trying to call someone else. Caleb O'Dell! All this time you were thinking of yourself when your friend could be dying out here in the woods."

He hasn't changed at all, thought Ashley, why did you think he would for you?

"Money has always been more important to you than... than... than anything else," she yelled.

"What's going on?" asked Amy, shining her flashlight at their faces.

"Apparently we're getting in the way of Caleb's rodeo career," said Ashley. "Why don't you just go home, Caleb?"

"Maybe that's not a bad idea," Ty chimed in, "Soraya might have made it back. Someone needs to check."

Amy looked at the two and sighed. Ashley looked like she was about to start crying, and Caleb's face was red as he struggled to refrain from some choice words he'd probably regret saying later. "Ty, why don't you go with him to make sure he makes it back to Heartland?"

Before Ty could protest about leaving Ashley and Amy alone in the woods at night, Caleb stormed off down the trail. "I can manage on my own," they heard him yell. If I run, Caleb thought to himself, I still might be able to meet him coming out of the door.

If there was one thing Caleb was proud of, it was his fine sense of direction. Give him a compass and a map and he could lead a blind man to water. He was just glad to be away from her. After this is over, he thought many times on his way to where he parked his truck, I'm so getting my trailer back.

He caught sight of a large white blur out of the corner of his eyes. Turning his head for a better look, he recognized Soraya's horse standing calmly at the side of trail staring back at him.

"Hey fellow," Caleb said, slowly making his way to the horse, "where have you been?" The horse appeared unharmed. "Now if you could only tell me where she is, or be like Lassie and show me. I don't suppose you could do that?" The horse nuzzled against his hand but remained silent.

As much as she wanted to, Soraya was just too tired to take another step. She dropped down on her knees and laid her head on the forest floor. Dizzy and sleepy, she closed her eyes and thought about her mom and pictured her at home pacing up and down like she always did when she got worried. The drowsiness wrapped around her mind like a blanket. She thought she heard her name, but the darkness in her mind expanded all around her and eventually she couldn't hear anything else.

The next time Soraya opened her eyes, she found herself in a bright room. Her eyes gradually adjusted to the light, and what were shadows and shapes became a chair, flowers in a vase, and a window. Someone was sitting in that chair. "Hey," she whispered hoarsely to them.

The person immediately straightened up and promptly fell off their seat. It made Soraya laugh. He regained his footing (sheepishly, she thought), and approached her bed.

"Hey," said Caleb in the gentlest voice he never knew he had.

"Caleb?" He was the last person she expected to see.

"Yep. Looks like the brain's still working.'

"Mom?"

"She just stepped out for awhile but she'll be right back. I could go get her now."

He felt her hand grab hold of his arm as he pulled away from the bed. He wrapped his hand around hers.

"You want me to stay? I'll stay."

Soraya nodded. And the two of them sat quietly together hand in hand.

"So you never made it to the meeting?" asked Ty.

The two of them were sitting in the hospital cafeteria. Caleb took a huge bite out of a slice of pizza.

"I dunno," Caleb said with his mouth full. "Didn't even think about it. After I found her horse, I wandered around the trails nearby to see if we missed anything. Sure enough I found her face down in the dirt. I carried her on the horse, we made it to the truck, and I drove her to the hospital."

Ty smiled and flipped some bits of errant pizza off his shirt.

"And you know what? After this, I expect some respect from you-know-who."

"Who?" Ty asked even though he knew.

"Well, her of course."

"You can ask her for yourself," Ty replied, pointing at the door, "cos' you-know-who is right there." Caleb followed his gaze and saw Ashley smiling back at him. Ah yes, that pretty girl living in his trailer.


End file.
